Pneumatic wheel.



F. W. ADDINGTON.

PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18. 1915. I

l, l 73., 1 56 Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

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PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18. 1915.

1,1 5. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

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FRANK W. ADDINGTON, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed January 18, 1915. Serial No. 2,783.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. ADDINGTON, a citizen of the United States, nd a resident of the city of Richmond, in the county of \Vayne and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Construction in Pneumatic 'heels, of which the following is a full, clear, and comprehensive description and specification, being such as will enable others to make nd use the same with exactitude.

My invention relates to pneumatic vehiclewheels wherein the predominant feature is that the air container is located at a distance inward from the periphery of the wheel, where it can not become punctured by objects with which the wheel may come in contact, and reducing the wear and deterioration to the minimum.

The object of my invention, broadly speaking, is to provide a pneumatic wheel which will be strong and durable in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, easily assembled or taken apart, adapted to provide a maximum of resiliency in operation with a minimum of wear upon the parts thereof, and which can be manufactured and sold and maintained at a comparatively low rice.

Other minor objects and particular advantages of my invention will be brought out and made manifest in the course of the following description, and that which is new will be correlated in the appended claim which terminates this specification.

The preferred manner for accomplishing the desideratum in a practical manner is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front face view or elevation of my wheel, as it would appear in actual practice. Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1 except .thatthe front disk is removed, showing the interior of the wheel and the various parts Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the segment members of the movable plunger. Fig. 4 is-a. perspective detail View of aportion of the inner tube and its envelop. Fig. 5 is a central section as taken through the wheel on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. -6 is an inner face view of one of the inclosing disks. And Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a slightly modified form, in which the plunger is formed in one part, the front disk being shown as broken away in order to show the modified plunger.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

In order that the construction, the operation, and the advantages of my invention may be fully understood and appreciated, I will now take up a detailed description thereof, in which I will set forth the invention as comprehensively as I may.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral 1 denotes the hub, which may be of any ord1nary form or construction desired. Radlating out from around the hub, at rightangles thereto, is the flange 2. Carried by the periphery of the flange 2 is the concavoconvex channel-rim 3, whose channel faces outward and extends entirely around the hub. The rim 3, the flange 2, together being substantially Y-shape in cross section, and the rim 3, the flange 2, and the hub 1 may be formed integral with each other, as shown in Fig. 5, or they may be made of separate parts secured together. The movable plunger is made up of a plurality of segmental portions, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, which are all identical with each other, and each comprises a flat stem A, which is of trapezium shape; the and the inner concavo-convex portion which forms the outer channel rim C, the latter being similar but oppositely disposed to the rim 3 from which they are spaced as shown. The rims C of the plunger together form a channel entirely around the channel of the rim 3 to receive the envelop 6, as shown in Fig. 5.

Two radial slots, a and a, are formed through each of the members of the plunger, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Numerals 4 and 5 denote the two inclosing disks, which are identical with each other, each having a central aperture 6 therethrough as shown in Fig. 6, which aperture is larger than is the diameter of the hub 1 which is disposed therethrough. The central and the outer portions of each of the disks is formed fiat and they are parallel and in alinement with each other, while between these parts, that is about midway between the center and the periphery of each disk, there is an outwardly curved portion forming an annular channel 6, Fig. 6, which corresponds to the curvature of the rims 3 and C, as shown in Fig.5. Fitting around in the circular inclosure formed by the rims 3 and C is the envelop 6, which may be 1 Formed through the inner portion of I posed formed of leather or other flexible material of strength, which is adapted to open out along its inner periphery, where the edges thereof may be detachably secured together by means of lacing 7. Fitting in and inclosed by the envelop is the compressed-air tube 8, which is provided with an air inlet valveli). t e disks 4 and 5 are the bolt apertures I, each to receive one of thebolts 10, which bolts also pass through corresponding apertures formed through the flange 2, whereby the two disks are rigidly connected to the flange 2. Also formed through the outward portrons of the disks 4 and 5 are the bolt apertures it, through which the bolts 11 are distact with the various members of the plunger; the said bolts pass through the slots a-a' of the segments of the plunger. Secured around in the channels, formed in the heads B of the segments of the plunger is the rubber tread 12.

Surrounding each of the bolts 11, and 15, is a spacer 16, whose length is slightly more than is the thickness of the stems A, whereby the bolts 11, and 15, may be made tight to secure the disks 4 and 5but without clamping them too tight against the plunger, so as to prevent the plunger fror moving freely.

It will now be seen that if the proper airpressure is inserted in the tube 8 that the segments of the plunger will be forced out to their limits, causing the tube 8 and the envelop 7, to be practically round in cross section, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 5. Now if weight be applied to the wheel forcing the tread 12 tightly into contact with the ground 13, it is apparent that the members of the plunger will be progressively forced inward against the resiliency of the tube 8, thereby causing the weight to be carried by the air in the tube. The spaces m and n, located on envelop and between the'rims 3 and C will permit the outward expansion of the tube and envelop when weight is applied to the wheel, as shown in the lower portion of Fig. 5, thereby permitting movements similar to that of a peripheral pneumatic tire.

In some instances I find it desirable to form the plunger of one integral construction 14, that'is dispensing with forming the plunger into segments and forming it solid,

tively large apertures g,

which secure the disks 4 and 5 in con-- each side of the as shown in Fig. 7 In this modified form the slots a and a are dispensed with and in place thereof I form a plurality of comparadispensing with part of the bolts 11, and arranging the bolts 15 as in Fig. 7. In this modified form the entire plunger moves at one time between the disks 4 and 5, the a ertures 9 being of such size as to allow 0 the required universal movement. By means of either the preferred or the modified construction the load carried by the wheel will receive the full resiliency of the tube plus the resiliency of the tread 12.

In order to prevent the plunger 14 from creeping I pivot it at one point, as shown at the right in Fig. 7. To do this I simply provide a radial slot q, in place of the round apertures g, with the bolt 15' extending therethrough, this willpermitthe plunger to move with the bolt 15' as a pivot.

fully shown and described what I claim and desire to portions of the plungers and the hub of the wheel, the medial portions of the plungers having elongated slots therein, plates rigidly secured to the hub of the wheeland extending radially therefrom, the medial portions of the plates adapted to inclose the pneumatic member and the inner ends of the plungers, the outer ends of the plates adapted to lieon each side of the medial portions of the plungers, bolts extending through said slots and plates for slidably connecting the plates to the sections,'and a spacer encircling" the bolts and arranged between the plates for the purpose set forth. 1

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W. ADDINGTON. 

